Edmonton’s summer of thunder too scary for some dogs

Jamie Hall, Edmonton Journal08.05.2013

Jackie Dawson’s miniature schnauzer Scout hunts down his favourite toy — a red plush-toy bone — when he hears thunder and buries it under a pillow in Jackie’s bedroom, as though to protect it.Shaughn Butts
/ Edmonton Journal

Jackie Dawson’s miniature schnauzer Scout hunts down his favourite toy — a red plush-toy bone — when he hears thunder and buries it under a pillow in Jackie’s bedroom, as though to protect it.Shaughn Butts
/ Edmonton Journal

Carmen McConnell got her eight-year-old golden retriever Riley a “thundershirt” to help him with his fear of electrical storms.Greg Southam

Jackie Dawson’s miniature schnauzer Scout hunts down his favourite toy — a red plush-toy bone — when he hears thunder and buries it under a pillow in Jackie’s bedroom, as though to protect it.Shaughn Butts
/ Edmonton Journal

Jackie Dawson’s miniature schnauzer Scout hunts down his favourite toy — a red plush-toy bone — when he hears thunder and buries it under a pillow in Jackie’s bedroom, as though to protect it.Shaughn Butts
/ Edmonton Journal

Jackie Dawson’s miniature schnauzer Scout hunts down his favourite toy — a red plush-toy bone — when he hears thunder and buries it under a pillow in Jackie’s bedroom, as though to protect it.Shaughn Butts
/ Edmonton Journal

Carmen McConnell got her eight-year-old golden retriever Riley a “thundershirt” to help him with his fear of electrical storms.Greg Southam

Carmen McConnell got her eight-year-old golden retriever Riley a “thundershirt” to help him with his fear of electrical storms.Greg Southam

EDMONTON - The first clap of thunder always sends Scout scurrying for his toy basket in search of his favourite squeaky, a plush red bone. Once found, the five-year-old miniature schnauzer picks it up in his mouth, runs into owner Jackie Dawson’s bedroom and noses it under one of the pillows on her bed.

“It’s like he’s protecting it,” says Dawson, “which is hilarious considering how scared he is. If I’m in bed, he’s usually curled up next to me, shaking like a leaf.”

On the other hand, Riley, an eight-year-old golden retriever, builds a nest for himself when thunder starts, systematically dragging the mats from the laundry room and bathroom into the adjoining family room and placing them in a heap on the floor.

“Our other (golden retriever) Catie used to jump into the bathtub,” says Carmen McConnell, Riley’s owner. “We went looking for her one day and there she was, peeking out from behind the shower curtain.”

Thunder and lightning — particularly the former — terrifies many pets, especially dogs, who often pace, whine, howl or drool and do seemingly strange things to escape the fury and noise of electrical storms. This summer, light shows have become a daily feature of the weather, the words “chance of a thunderstorm” practically a mantra for Edmonton area forecasters.

So, what is it exactly that dogs find so frightening about storms? And what, if anything, can pet owners do to help them?

Bilinda Wagner, Edmonton Humane Society animal behaviour consultant, says just like people, some pets respond to the changes in barometric pressure that often precede a storm, and to the noise and vibration that accompanies it.

“Some animals are really sensitive to touch and sound and smell,” says Wagner, “and the big thing is that once a storm hits, you can’t desensitize them in the moment because it’s so loud.”

She says dogs naturally try to escape the static charge in the air by moving toward items that are electrically grounded. Many thunder-phobic dogs seek shelter in the basement, around the toilet, shower, near pipes, or, like Catie, in bathtubs. They may also try to get underneath something, or find a place to hide, typically small enclosed spaces.

She says dogs who are frightened by thunderstorms are sometimes susceptible to loud noises in general, like fireworks, sirens, vacuums and lawn mowers.

Cats, on the other hand, are a lot less domesticated than dogs so are less likely to be affected by thunder and lightning. Still, says Wagner, they are masters of body language and will become agitated and nervous if their owners’ movements are out of the norm, so it’s important to keep a calm demeanour.

A survey conducted by the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association showed that some dog breeds appear to be more predisposed to fear of thunderstorms, among them herding dogs and hounds. Rescue dogs were also likelier to be fearful than the rest of the dog population.

“You’re really rewarding the wrong behaviour,” she says. “It may make you feel better, but it’s not doing much good for the dog. You’ve got to work with them before the storm hits, not in the middle of it.”

She says vets sometimes suggest anti-anxiety medications that can be helpful, but she recommends first trying behaviour modification.

She says dogs can’t learn anything when they’re agitated, so the best time to implement desensitizing techniques is when the weather is calm and the skies are blue.

“Systematic desensitization” is a way to slowly expose your pet to the stimulus that triggers their fear. Recordings of thunderstorms, for instance, are available on CDs and can be purchased at many pet stores, including the EHS shelter.

The idea, Wagner says, is to play it at a very low volume several times a day, while rewarding your dog with treats and praise when they are calm. Over time, you can increase the volume level until your dog is OK with the noise.

The shelter also sells “thundershirts,” a body-hugging garment that’s designed to press on certain pressure points to induce relaxation.

As it happens, McConnell recently purchased one to see if it would help her apprehensive pooch, who has abandoned his nest-making ways, at least for the moment.

“When I put it on him, he becomes paralyzed,” she says, laughing. “He just stands there, stunned. It takes a bit of coaxing to get him to move.

“He doesn’t seem to pant as much, or pace, but he still follows me around. I think it helps a bit, though; it kind of just snuggles him in and makes him feel safer.”

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